Various surgical procedures are routinely carried out intravascularly or intraluminally. For example, in the treatment of vascular disease, such as arteriosclerosis, it is a common practice to access the artery and insert an instrument (e.g., a balloon or other type of catheter) to carry out a procedure within the artery. Such procedures usually involve the percutaneous puncture of the artery so that an insertion sheath may be placed in the artery and thereafter instruments (e.g., a catheter) may pass through the sheath and to an operative position within the artery. Intravascular and intraluminal procedures unavoidably present the problem of stopping the bleeding at the percutaneous puncture after the procedure has been completed and after the instruments (and any insertion sheaths used therewith) have been removed. Bleeding from puncture sites, particularly in the case of femoral vascular punctures, may be stopped by utilizing vascular closure devices.
Typical closure devices position an anchor member through the puncture for at least partial sealing of the puncture internally. An insertion sheath is usually pre-positioned extending through the puncture to provide an unobstructed path for inserting the closure device through puncture to position the anchor within the vessel. In at least some closure procedures, a sheath exchange is required to exchange a procedural sheath, which is compatible with treatment devices to treat the vessel, with an insertion sheath compatible with the closure device. Using insertion sheaths as part of a puncture closure procedure may have a number of drawbacks, including the need for a sheath exchange, which may be time-consuming and add complexity to the closure procedure. Opportunities exist for improvements in puncture closure devices and related methods of closing a puncture.